Curriculum

Jewish Studies

Chabad Girls Academy is first and foremost a Jewish girls’ school. We follow the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s guidance about education. We schedule Jewish Studies first each day as well as first in priority in our students’ education.

Davening,
Chumash and Hebrew Literacy,
Chassidus
Halacha,
Chassidishe Yomim Tovim,
Parasha
Novi
Biur Tefilla

Secular Studies

CGA is a NY State non-public school. We follow the NY State “Next Generation” curriculum for secular studies. We use the Constructivist model of education, enabling students to construct their knowledge with guidance from their teachers.

English Language Arts
Math
Science
Social Studies
Physical Education
Arts – Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre and Visual Art

Electives and Extra-Curriculars

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We have a holistic approach to education at CGA. We offer electives and extra-curricular activities to allow the whole student to blossom. We want each student to discover her talents and develop them. We offer her ways beyond the academic realm to contribute to the world.

Metacognition

Metacognition is awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes.

Student understanding is greatly enhanced when students discuss their thought process while learning. By discussing the context, relevance, significance and/or purpose of what and how they are learning, their comprehension is heightened. Being aware of metacognition also gives our students the vocabulary to grasp complex ideas.

The Constructivist model of learning employs metacognition.

 

Constructivist Learning Theory

The Constructivist model is not just another way of knowing, but a way of thinking about knowing. It is a theory of communication to students – accommodating the fact that each learner will understand content and will process information in different ways.

Learning is an active process, unique to each individual. CGA guides each student in constructing meaning from what is being learned. We use the awareness of experiences already in the learner’s repertoire. Much of the learning is done in partners or groups or in hands-on ways which allows students to best absorb and understand the topics. We use Kagan Structures and Visual Thinking Routines to make students accountable in partnerships and groups.

The students take ownership of their learning and their learning process. For this reason, we have Student Led Conferences for our Parent-Teacher interviews.

7 major tenets of constructivism

Construction of knowledge = Knowledge construction is a collaborative process which aims to produce new understanding or knowledge. Knowledge construction is based on each others’ ideas and thoughts. Collaboration achieves more learning than each individual could do alone. Process, not product = Even if every product isn’t a complete success, many positive learning moments occur during the process. Learning is a journey, not a destination. Teachers facilitate a project, act as a guide and show students how to learn and to discover solutions. They coach students in approaching new ideas, information, and problems. Multiple perspectives = Teachers intentionally emphasize different viewpoints, help students develop critical thinking skills and learn how to see beyond their own lives to the world outside. They help students to understand, visualize, and empathize with someone else’s struggles. Situated cognition = Teachers emphasize the relevance of the social and cultural context in which learning occurs. This approach allows students to use knowledge learned in every context of their lives. Reflective cognition = There is a focus on thinking, comparing and decision-making. This leads to new ideas and creativity. Achieving expert level performance in certain skills employs this approach. Cognitive apprenticeship = the process where a master of a skill teaches that skill to an apprentice. Using the apprenticeship model allows learning to be practical. Process-based evaluation = This type of evaluation focuses on understanding how a unit of learning works, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. Teachers evaluate the process of learning rather than just evaluating the content and results.

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